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Glamour Photos

By Donna T.
Part one of a two part series. Subscribers can catch up with Part Two

How about a few fantastic glamour photos to add to your collection? Here is what a glamour portrait is all about.

First, the lighting is almost always high key, that is bright and somewhat specular in quality. Without spending the next four years studying the subject of photographic lighting I will give you a crash course.

Basic photo lighting can be reduced to two forms, specular and diffused. For a simple diffused lighting effect a photographer will bounce the strobe light off a white ceiling, that will spread the light out and soften the shadows.

Specular light comes from a small bright and focused light source such as a flash tube. The diffused light is desirable in people pictures, but lacks punch. Specular light will have stronger shadows and may require and additional light to soften them. So what is a girl to do?

Go with the flash on your camera and one additional bright light source that we will use as a hair light. If you have a tungsten light that would be perfect, but remember that it will produce a yellow cast which is in most cases just right for a hair light and background light.

So how do we get the glamour in a glamour shot? It really only takes two things, props carefully chosen and the right make up. In this article we will look at simple yet effective props and in part two we will go into proper makeup for glamour photographs. Your background and props do not need to be expensive or elaborate, here are a few ideas that I have used with great success.

Simple Props

Take a look at your local fabric store and check out the fake fur. I use it on the floor with the camera pointing down and subject laying on it. A great shot every time, and if you add a Champaign glass or a rose or two it gets even better. Just let your imagination run wild and see what you can come up with.

Think about what you can do with two dozen balloons, or if you want to really dazzle them try this — locate a store that sells store fixtures, or a party store or a theatrical supply house, and ask them for a metallic curtain. They are four feet wide and eight feet long for five to ten dollars each and you will not believe the colors.

Now that is a background with lots of punch. Another idea that I have used to good effect is fog; it can make for a very dramatic photograph. Now, I have a very expensive fog machine for studio work, but you can buy it in a spray can and it does a pretty good job.

What I want to do is stimulate your mind and get you looking for props and backgrounds that you can call your own creations for your photographs. Check out a few junk shops for that perfect prop and keep your eyes open for possibilities.

Next time we will get your make up set up for a fabulous glamour photo shoot. Until then smile every chance you get.

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